Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33291540›Full record

ReviewJournal of developmental biology2020

Environmentally Induced Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance and the Weismann Barrier: The Dawn of Neo-Lamarckian Theory.

Eric E Nilsson, Millissia Ben Maamar, Michael K Skinner

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of developmental biology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Epigenetic Echoes: Bridging Nature, Nurture, and Healing Across Generations.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Soma-to-germline RNA communication.Nature reviews. Genetics · 2022
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Eric E NilssonCenter for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA.
Millissia Ben MaamarCenter for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA.
Michael K SkinnerCenter for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA.

Funding

John Templeton Foundation 50183 and 61174
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

For the past 120 years, the Weismann barrier and associated germ plasm theory of heredity have been a doctrine that has impacted evolutionary biology and our concepts of inheritance through the germline. Although August Weismann in his 1872 book was correct that the sperm and egg were the only cells to transmit molecular information to the subsequent generation, the concept that somatic cells do not impact the germline (i.e., the Weismann barrier) is incorrect. However, the doctrine or dogma of the Weismann barrier still influences many scientific fields and topics. The discovery of epigenetics, and more recently environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of phenotypic variation and pathology, have had significant impacts on evolution theory and medicine today. Environmental epigenetics and the concept of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance refute aspects of the Weismann barrier and require a re-evaluation of both inheritance theory and evolution theory.

Indexed as

DarwineggepigeneticsevolutionLamarckreviewspermtransgenerationalWeismann barrier

Identifiers

PMID33291540
PMCPMC7768451

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.